There for a Friend
by Foxboy614
Summary: During a day at the beach, Tails accidently reveals he and Zooey broke up. Hearing this, Sticks decides to try and find out why. *Boom-verse* I OWN NOTHING!


**I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Boom, or any of the characters used in this story. They belong to Sega. I aim to get no monetary value from this.**

One day, Tails was relaxing on the beach. He always loved the ocean. The smell of the salty sea air, hearing the waves rolling, and hearing a seagull every now and then. Tails was so at peace, he didn't even realize his "bother" Sonic had arrived with Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks.

"What's up, little bud?" Sonic asked Tails.  
Tails jumped a bit, but calmed down once he saw it was just Sonic. "Oh, not much. Just enjoying the breeze." he explained.  
"I figured you'd be hanging out with Zooey. You two still together?" Knuckles asked. Tails' ears drooped. Knuckles noticed this and could tell he had said the wrong thing. "Oh… I'm sorry little guy." he apologized, not meaning to make Tails upset.  
"No Knuckles, it's ok." Tails assured.

"What happened?" Amy asked, concerned for her friend. She hated to see Tails upset.  
"Eggman. That's what." Tails replied, a bit of anger in his voice. "What he had helped to make happen, he destroyed." he explained.

"Did he use any alien mind-control devices?" Sticks asked. Tails just looked at her oddly. They may be friends, but at times, she can be a handful.  
"No, thank goodness." Tails admitted with a short laugh. "Look, guys, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. It was a mutual agreement, and we're still good friends." he assured them. Sticks, however, wanted answers, and she was going to make sure she got them, one way or another.

Sticks went to village in hopes of finding Zooey. After a few minutes, she found her at Meh Burger, drinking some juice. Sticks paused for second, debating on whether she should do it or not. However, she came this far, so now she feels she has to go all the way.  
'Hey Zooey… can I talk to you for a bit?" Sticks asked nervously.  
"Sure. What's up?" Zooey replied.  
"Well..." Sticks hesitated. "When we were talking to Tails, we accidentally found out you two had broke up. What happened?" she finished.  
Zooey was a bit taken back by this question, but she knew Sticks was a friend of Tails'. So she decided to tell Sticks about what happened. "Well… at first, after Dr. Eggman helped us to get together… I guess the 'bro-code' only lasts so long when a villain is involved. He came after me, trying to get to Tails, and while it wasn't so bad at first, Eggman's attacks got more and more persistent. Poor Tails could hardly keep up." Zooey explained, feeling a bit sad for putting Tails through all that. "So we broke up, and soon, Eggman was attacking like how he usually does. The scum..." she finished. "But don't worry; Tails and I are still on good terms and we're still good friends." she assured the badger.

"Ok. That's good." Sticks said. She was upset that Tails had to break up with Zooey because of Eggman, but she was glad they called it off on good terms. "Now… I have another question." Sticks added. "Is it… possible to have a… c-c-crush on one of your best friends?" she asked with uncertainty.  
"Absolutely." Zooey assured her. "That's usually how some relationships start. By the time you go from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend, you'll already have a good bond with that person. It might be a tad weird at first, but it shouldn't stay that way long." Sticks felt some relief at this. "Why do you ask? Do you have a crush on on of your friends?" Zooey asked. Sticks nodded her head yes. "Who is it?" Zooey asked, curious.  
Sticks was silent for a while. She still felt a bit nervous about talking about this topic, partially because she's new to romance. But finally, she gave her answer. "...T-T-Tails..." Sticks admitted. Zooey was shocked to hear that, but smiled anyways.  
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Tails is a good guy, and I think you two will get along well. You've known each other a good while, you trust each other, and unlike me, you can fight Eggman just as well as the others can." Zooey said.

"But what do I do? I don't know much of anything about dating." Sticks said, slightly worried. "I fear my lack of knowledge of that and my paranoia will make anything between me and Tails fail."  
"It'll take time, I won't lie. But, just be calm; you'll do fine." Zooey said, trying to ease the badger's worries. "Also, if I may make a suggestion, I know of a pond not to far from here that me and Tails liked to go to sometimes. Maybe once you get the chance, you two can go there and spend some time together." sh finished.  
"Ok. I'll… try to keep calm about trying to date Tails. Good bye, Zooey." Sticks said, leaving the vixen so that she can continue her drink.

"Good bye, Sticks." Zooey replied back.

After that, Sticks left the village and went to return to the beach with the others. As she was walking, she was trying to understand why she'd formed a crush on the fox. They were so different in so many ways, they were practically world's apart. Tails was a logical thinker and had a tendency to be a shy individual. She was a feral badger who was paranoid and relied almost solely on instinct.  
However, she started to think about all of his good qualities. He was a very smart and intelligent boy for his age. He was also a very loyal friend who put the needs of his friends above his own. He's also a very reliable partner to have in a fight, as she's seen time and time again. Not to mention, she thought he was pretty cute and kind-hearted. Maybe it wasn't so odd she had a crush on the tech-savy fox. Regardless, she put it aside for the moment when she returned to the beach and her friends.  
"You're back." Sonic pointed out. "Where were you?"

"I… just had a few things to do. Nothing to worry about." Sticks said, hoping for no further questions. The others just nodded and resumed what they were doing. Sticks internally sighed in relief.

Later at night, Sticks went out for a walk, enjoying the night air and listening to the crickets and frogs sing their night songs. At one point, she passed by the beach again, and found Tails sitting on the ground, watching the night sky. "Tails?" Sticks asked. "What are you doing here?" This shook Tails out of his trance and he turned his head towards Sticks' voice.  
"Oh, not much. Just watching the water." Tails told her. "Mind if I join you?" Sticks asked. Tails patted a spot next to him, and Sticks sat down beside him. At one point, Sticks look over at Tails and noticed he had a sad look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" Sticks asked, concerned for her friend. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that… me and Zooey would often take walks along the beach and then watch the sky at sunset or at night when the stars are out." Tails admitted. "I miss doing that with her." he added, his ears drooping. "I'd imagine. I'm sorry for what happened. I can't say I've experienced this, but I know when my friends are hurting." Sticks said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "But it's ok; I'm here for you. We all are." she told Tails. Tails looked at her and smiled. "Thanks Sticks." he said.  
"And also, I have a confession; when I left for the village earlier, I didn't have any errands to run. I went to find Zooey and ask her why you broke up." Sticks confessed. Tails was shocked to hear that. "What?" he asked. "Why didn't you talk to me about it?" "I didn't think it'd be right to talk about it with you." Sticks admitted. "Yet you thought it'd be ok to talk about it with Zooey?" Tails asked, a bit upset. "Hey! I'm still new to socializing! Cut me some slack!" Sticks shot back. Tails was about to say something, but stopped and realized she did have a point and he calmed down. "Well, at least you were honest." Tails admitted. "Sorry I got a little… defensive." he apologized. "It's ok." Sticks replied. "I'm just glad you two are still friends, and that no alien mind-control was involved." That last comment made Tails chuckle a bit.

"Well, it's getting late. I better be heading back home." Tails pointed out, getting up from his spot.  
"Are you going to be alright?" Sticks asked.  
"Yeah." Tails assured her. "We've been broke up for a little over two months now. I'm gonna be fine."  
"Ok." Sticks said. "But remember, I'm here for you. If you need me, I'll be there for you." she told him. But before they departed, Sticks walked up to Tails and gave him a soft hug and a peck on the cheek. Tails was stunned at her sudden display of affection. "I saw Sonic and Amy do that once." Sticks admitted. "Sorry if it was… out of line." Tails shook himself out of the trance he was in. "No… you're fine." Tails told her. "Ok. Thanks. Well, bye." Sticks said as she went for her burrow. Tails watched her leave for a few seconds before he left for his own house. After a few steps, he stopped and felt his cheek where Sticks had kissed him, and a slight blush and a smile appeared on his face. He wasn't going to lie; he did find Sticks to be quite a cutie, even if she is a bit nuts. After staying in that spot for a few seconds, he finally resumed his walk back home to sleep and wonder what tomorrow holds in store for him and the others.

 **And that wraps** **this one up.** **I hope I didn't make Sticks too OOC here. Still, let me know what you thought. I'll try a Tails X Sticks story sometime soon. And when I do, I'll explain there why I like this pairing. Please, no flames please. I'll respect you and your opinions, as I expect you to respect mine. Anyways, Foxboy614, signing off. Peace out!**


End file.
